HSE plans to organize winter flu campaign to prevent dual outbreaks

The HSE is all set for an upcoming winter flu campaign, which is about to start from October 2020 and it could last till April 2021.

The authorities believe that getting a flu vaccine now could help protect the health system. This could act good for the body while coping up with strains of the Covid-19.

The HSE looks forward in reducing the burden of the health workers, so that the country is not overwhelmed with a massive outbreak of both Covid-19 and influenza.

Certain people are recommended to get proper vaccination and medical attention and for them the consultation and the vaccine are totally free this year. The list includes 65 years and above aged people, pregnant women, people with long-term medical conditions and people whose immune systems are compromised.

The HSE has requested to make sure that children in-between age 2-12 are also getting the flu vaccination. This is for the first time that children below the age of 12 are entitled for fu vaccine.

The pharmacies have already started accepting bookings for the month of September and October, while the HSE is about to release further details regarding the new camping.

The winter flu is so-called because influenza thrives in colder temperatures and prefers the humidity levels in the winter months. The virus is also more likely to be transmitted in winter months when people keep windows and doors closed.

The confusion still exists that whether the change of climate helps in the spread of Covid-19, but there is also a surety that people can get infected by both the viruses at the same time.

“We don’t yet understand how that alters the severity of disease,” Dr Kim Roberts, Assistant Professor of Virology at Trinity College Dublin told to a news media.

Influenza vaccines has the capability to reduce the risk of infection by 40-60% and also to decrease the severity of illness. Therefore, it ends up in the reducing hospitalization and admissions to critical care units.

Since both flu and covid has similar symptoms, the flu vaccination can ease the pressure on Covid-19 testing, said Roberts.

“If you talk to your doctor about having symptoms and whether or not it’s flu or Covid-19, you’re going to have to get tested. So absolutely, it puts extra strain on that and in particular this year,” she says.

People has taken a lot of precautions such as social distancing and regular sanitization against the covid-19 and this also resulted in the decrease of the influenza infection rate.

Roberts says that: “All the interventions that they put into place to prevent Covid-19 spreading, it looks as though it’s also prevented influenza virus spreading. So there’s been very few cases of influenza in the southern hemisphere for their winter, our summer,”